Are you fixing a ford freestar check engine light? Studying Check engine light shows that while you are driving along and out of the blue your and Check Engine Light comes on in the dash panel. What does it means to you? It could show in your dash as Check Engine Light, Check Engine Soon Light, Service Engine Soon Light, Engine Light, Engine Management Light or whatever it is, it simply means that your vehicle’s engine computer system has notified you that it has a problem.

Check engine light is a standard diagnostic procedure which is intended for the driver. Depending on the engine date of manufacture make, and model, the problem could be related to the engine, transmission, even the car brakes and suspension. There are hundreds of reasons why a Check Engine Light may appear in your dash. Here are the following questions that you need when fixing ford freestar Check Engine Lights:

1) Can you drive a car with check engine light coming on?

The rule of the thumb is: if the engine performance is fine and there is no symptoms such as hesitation, high gas comsumption then you can continue to drive it but make sure to scan the engine for engine codes. For example, if the gas tank cap is loose, the check engine light shows up although the engine runs fine.

However, if there is poor engine performance like misfiring, stalling and hesitation; you are better off shutting the engine and have it towed to the nearest garage.

2) After your ford freestar was driven with check engine light and later quit after driving would it be safe to drive?

It is still possible that there is a problem since check engine light codes could be intermittent or permanent. Anytime this Check Engine Light shows up, a code is stored in the engine computer and that can be retrieved using a scanner. so it is better to have it scanned even if the light went out.

3) If the check engine light stays on while driving, What should I do?

The check engine light should quit seconds after the engine is started but if it is on constantly, just scan the code as stated above. If you have a scanner, you can even do it yourself.

4) Is it safe to disconnect the battery or engine computer fuse when fixing your ford freestar check engine light?

In extreme cases where you stuck in the middle of traffic and need the vehicle maybe you can. To be safe, you are better off having your own scanner and reset it from the scanner. Doing it manually can affect your computer or accessory settings such as radio, clock which must be reprogrammed in order to work properly.

5) How to Reset Check Engine Light? if you have no scanner?

If you really need the vehicle and the engine runs OK then use the ecm fuse first with the battery disconnection as your last resort. Then if the vehicle is mobile, you can take it to the nearest parts store and most of them will do it free for you. Otherwise, take it to the nearest garage so they can retrieve the code. Postponing this might work against you if the engine has a serious problem which can escalate later. But as long as the engine is running fine and the gas consumption is not affected, you are required to do it right away. If for example it denotes a mass sensor code, then all you have to do is to service it by cleaning the sensor wire elements. This is why it is important to have your own generic code scanner because you can determine right away if the code is temporary or permanent.

6.) If I use a garage to check the engine light, will I have to pay for it?

Most garages uses goodwill and won’t charge you for checking the code which takes 3-5 minutes. Depending on how busy they are and your approach, most of them will do it gladly but to insure you don’t have to pay, try this:

Politely ask the service advisor if they could reset the check engine light with their scanner. They may charge otherwise but explain this to them:

Tell the service representative that you understand fully, and that you appreciate his professionalism. But that you would just like to try resetting the Service Engine Soon Light, and if it comes on again, you’ll come back for a full diagnosis.

When you say this, do it with politely and most of them will respond positively. If the service center wants to charge you just to reset your Service Engine Light, try another garage until you find that will do it for you.

TIPS:

If you ask them something for free in fixing your ford freestar check engine light, please try not to waste their time. Just get the code and go. If possible, after you get the code number, search it in Google so you can find the code description yourself. You can decide later what to do next if the check engine light comes back.

Here is a video I made for cheap auto scanner when fixing ford freestar check engine light.